Carton spout



1933- w. B. MCLAUGHLIN 1,920,653

CARTON SPOUT Filed April 14, 1950 I 52 3} J4 14 .52 f a] WILL, 1AM .8.Mc LAUGHL/N Patented Aug. 1, 1933 CARTON SPOUT William B. McLaughlin,San Francisco, Calif., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, toFibrcboard Products Inc., San Francisco, Calif., a Corporation ofDelaware Application April 14, 1930. Serial No. 444,336

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved carton spout, and has for one ofits principal objects, means for forming a spout in the end of acardboard or other carton, the spout to be of the same material as thecarton and to remain an integral part of the carton or container as longas it is in use.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide a cartonspout integral with the material thereof and which can be incorporatedinto the ordinary carton blank now in use without any additions theretoor extensions thereof, and without'changing in any way the outlines ofthe original blank or the machines for r cutting the same.

Still another and further important object of the invention is toprovide in a carton an integral spout which can be incorporatedthereinto at a very small expenditure of additional time and labor, andwith comparatively simple extra equipment, and which furthermore enablesthe cartons to be shipped to the user in a fiat or knocked-downcondition, after which they can be assembled for packing by means of theordinary operations now in use.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and followingspecification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawing andhereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the open top end of the carton or thelike with the improved integral spout of this invention forming partthereof.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton is formedshowing details of the scored, perforated and offset portions.

Figure 3 is an exaggerated sectional view taken through the top of thecarton showing portions removed from the two outer flaps to form theopening throughwhich the spout member numerals 14, 16, 18, and 20, asbest shown in Figures 1 and 2. It will be noted that the spout proper isformed of wing portions 22 and 24 bent upwardly from a central portion26, all of which constitute a unitary structure, the portions 22 and 24being bent at right angles to the portion 26, this bending beingfacilitated by means of scored lines as best shown at 28 in'Figure 2.

In order that the spout may work properly through the combinedthicknesses of the two covering flaps 18 and 20, another scored line 30is formed in the member 26 thereof, this scored line being parallel tobut offset from the original bending line of the spout 32 as best shownin Figures 2 and .4.

In order that the spout element may be easily separated from theremainder of the flap 14, it is outlined by a heavily scored orperforated line or cut through as best illustrated at 34 in Figure 2,this line or cut beginning at one end of the lighter scored line 32 andextending around approximately three-fourths of the outline of thespout. f

To make the spout member easily accessible from the ,outside of thecarton after-the same has been sealed, the covering flaps '18 and 20 areeach provided with openings 38 and 40 respectively, these openings beingmerely outlined by scored, cut or perforated lines as best indicated inFigure 2, facilitating removal of the portions inside the lines when itis desired to open the carton and place the spout into operation.

Each of these openings 38 and 40 is preferably provided with an offsetlip or extension enabling the ready insertion of a knife blade, fingernail or the like, and eliminating damaging of adjacent parts.

Preferably, the scores or perforations outlining these openings aregraduated, those adjacent the top being very heavily scored as bestshown at 44 in Figure 2, and those adjacent the lower portions of theopenings being simply perforated and not so heavily scored asillustrated at 46.

When the portions are removed from the flaps l8 and 20, leaving openings38 and 40 respectively, the spout 2224-26 can then be readily pulled outinto operating position as shown in Figures 4 and 5, and when thedesired amount of material has been removed from the carton, the spoutcan be readily pushed inwardly into closed position, thereby againsealing the carton while at the same time rendering it readily availablefor future use.

In order to avoid the undesirable sticking of the surface of the spoutelement 22 24'26 to the lower face of the adjacent flap 18 when the sameare glued together in the process of completing the carton, thecorresponding adjacent portion of the said flap 18 is slightly offset asshown by the outlines thereof at in Figure 2, and as shown inexaggerated sectional detail in Figure 3.

The glue is illustrated in Figure 3 at 52, and it will be seen thatalthough the flaps 14 and 18 are securely sealed together by this glue,there is none of the glue between the spout element and the ofi'setportion 50, and therefore, no undesirable sticking together of theseportions results. This undesirable sticking can be further prevent ed bycoating the upper face of the spout element 22-24--26 with a heavycoating of ink as illustrated at 54 in Figures 1, 3, and 5. Ordinaryglue will not stick on the glazed surface produced by the ink.

Although the offset portion of the flap 18 results in a consequentupward extension on the,

outer face thereof, a suitable joining of the flaps 18 and 20 will beaccomplished by the glue 52 as best shown in Figure 3, as there issufilcient contacting surface between these portions to provide asatisfactory union, and it will be evident that considerable glue willextend over all the adjacent surface of these two flaps regardless ofthe oifset area which, furthermore, is not sufiicient to produce anynoticeable bulge or distortion of the package.

It will be evident that hereinis provided an integral spout forcardboard containers or the like which answers the requirements ofmanufacturers and also of users in that it necessitates no additionalmaterial in the way of extra flaps on the carton blank nor does itnecessitate the use of any extra elements such as are required inmetallic spouts. Further, it does not interfere in any way with thesecure sealing of the package, and

lastly, it is readily accessible to the ultimate con- I am aware thatmany changes may be made and numerous details of construction variedthroughout a wide range without departing from the principles of thisinvention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent grantedhereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention: Y

1. A carton comprising a flap having a portion thereof foldable toprovide a spout, and a second fiap overlying the first flap and having aportion separable therefrom so that the same may be removedindependently of the spout prior to folding out the spout portion, theportion removed from the second flap providing an aperture thru whichthe spout may extend, and a third flap overlying the second flap andhaving a portion separable therefrom, the portion removed from the thirdflap providing an aperture in register with the aperture of the secondflapa 2. A carton comprising a flap having a portion thereof foldable toprovide a spout, and a second flap overlying and adhesively united tothe first flap and having a portion separable therefrom to exposesaidspout portion, and means for preventing the adhesive from uniting theseparable portion of the second flap with the spout portion, the portionremoved from the second flap providing an aperture thru which the spoutmay extend.

3. A carton comprising a flap having a portion thereof foldable toprovide a spout, and a second flap overlying and. adhesively secured tothe first flap and having a portion'separable therefrom, a third flapoverlying and adhesively secured to the second flapand having a portionseparable therefrom, said portion of the third flap overlying theseparable portion of the second flap so that the two portions areadhesively united, and means for preventing the adhesive from unitingthe separable portion of the second flap with the spout portion so thatremoval of the united portions exposes the spout portion and provides anaperture thru which the spout may extend.

WILLIAM B. McLAUGHLIN.

